


Fish Tank

by Nad98



Series: Between Black and White [7]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Aquariums, Brotherly Bonding, Comfort, Domestic Fluff, Family Bonding, Gen, Interior Decorating, Light Angst, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:02:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25861783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nad98/pseuds/Nad98
Summary: As the twins started the renovation of the living room, Patton has an idea; what about a whole room for an aquarium?What Patton did not take into consideration was the enthusiasm Remus had for sea life and Roman for interior decorating.
Relationships: Anxiety & Creativity & Dark Creativity & Deceit & Logic & Morality (Sanders Sides), Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders
Series: Between Black and White [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1810210
Comments: 39
Kudos: 81





	1. Chapter 1

The renovations of the common areas were moving on. The twins had finally finished the plans and were now getting to decide what they were doing first. The bookshelves would be first thing they wanted bring into life and then starting to repaint the walls. When Logan asked them why they wanted to repaint it instead of simply snapping it into another colour, he was met with the answer that it wouldn’t be the full “renovation-experience” if they couldn’t lay out the floor with papers and everything would smell like paint for a few days. Needless to say, Logan was not satisfied with the answer but gave up when Remus started to explain him how delicious the shade of white would taste, they had chosen.

Then again, Remus did not give up trying to tell Logan just exactly how eggshell white and pearl white tasted totally different and followed Logan outside of the living room, while Roman was pulling the couch back to make room for the two of them to work on the wall behind it. Patton watched Roman do so with a smile. He himself had been forbidden to help with the remodelling, he was just a little too clumsy to be helpful, but he did enjoy watching Roman and Remus work and busy themselves like this.

Something else he enjoyed quite a bit was the aquarium. It had a nice glow to it and the fish were colourful and some quite exotic. Also, seeing Remus sitting in front of it, face pressed against the glass pane and searching for Spotty in the middle of the night when Patton had just wanted to get himself a glass of water, was rather endearing.

Maybe this was just Patton wanting to fix or repay Remus for the hard time he had been giving him, but the thought of maybe adding a room for the aquarium to the common area had been stuck in his head for a while now. And now he had a short window where he could ask Roman if he was able to make that work.

And so, Patton quickly walked over to Roman, waved at him with a smile and gained his attention. Curiously, Roman turned to him and Patton had a short moment of panic before he joined his hands in front of himself and said: “Are you still open for suggestions? I know this is not my area of expertise but I thought, well darn, maybe it’s not such a bad idea, right?”

Roman chuckled a little and Patton eased up at once.

“Hit me up padre! As long as it’s not about the colour of the walls, we still have room to play with,” Roman said and pointed towards the walls and then shot a look over Patton shoulder into the hallway, where his brother had disappeared.

“Talking about rooms,” Patton started and fiddled with his hands, “I was thinking about the possibility of maybe adding one? All of us spend more time here and it might help if we had a little more space for all of us to spread out? What do you think?”

For a second Roman’s face was blank but then immediately lit up. Apparently, Patton had hit a nerve.

“I love it! That sounds great Pat! The possibilities! The arrangements! Magnificent! Did you have a place in mind for the passage? And what you want to put in there?”

Patton pointed into the direction of the aquarium, to the left side of it and said gingerly: “Maybe a room where we could get a better look of the aquarium? It seems rather large and I had the feeling that Remus might enjoy that.”

And as Patton finished something ran past him with exceptional speed. Not able to assure what that just was he turned his head to see how the something was now next to the aquarium and – ran through the wall?

Patton blinked. No, it had not run through the wall but created a passage to the left side of the aquarium and now he also realised that the “it” was Remus who giddily clapped his hands from the other side of the passage.

Wide-eyed Patton stared at the new rectangular hole in the wall and then over to Roman, who also looked surprised before his expression changed and turned into a slightly annoyed one. With no further ado he walked towards the opening, as Patton was still frozen in place.

“What in Newton’s name has just happened here?”

Patton turned and saw Logan enter the living room and staring at the new opening in the wall.

“I apparently had a good idea?” Patton suggested with a weak laugh and finally came out of his frozen state.

Carefully Patton followed Roman into the new room, knowing that Logan came after him as well and entered it uncertainly. To his left the room stretched to the side for about nine feet and went on for about forty feet in front of him. The walls were dark and still bare, the floor flat and seemingly uncovered concrete but Patton barely noticed as his look was pulled to his immediate left. The whole left side of the room was the aquarium from the bottom of the floor almost up to the ceiling.

The tank was so much bigger than Patton had believed it to be from the little view he had gotten through the small window in the living room. He couldn’t say it with certainty but the tank must have been at least be the same width as the forty feet breadth that it had. And the lighting was stunning and the colours of corals and shiny rocks and seashells on the pebbly tank bottom bedazzled him.

“You really had to make it bigger, huh?”

Patton turned his head around to his left. That had been Roman talking with Remus. Remus, who had just conjured a ladder up to the top of the tank, which Patton now realized was topless. Bewildered he looked upwards, the ceiling must be eleven feet high, while the tank was probably about seven feet high.

“More space for Spotty!” Remus cheered and was about to pull off his shirt, when Roman grabbed him by the hand and waved a few times in front of his face.

Pulling a stern face but with a betraying underling fondness in his tone Roman told his brother: “I get we’re going to work on this now but could you please tell me why you’re planning to get inside the tank? We’ll have to also come up with a sensible design for the room you made here. There’s no furniture or floor work and the walls are still bare. We need to think about the full package.”

Remus blinked several times before he lowered his hands and actually watched the room around the aquarium. His eyes drifted over the bare surfaces, he scratched his moustache as Roman let go of his hand and then told Roman: “You know if I were to take pride in my creations, I’d be a little disappointed with this one.”

“No, shit Sherlock,” Roman deadpanned.

“Oh, fuck you Watson. Now, I like the dark colour scheme. No need to change that. Tiled floor is cold but let me say one word: mosaic. With sea creatures.”

Remus smirked at the apparent glint in Roman’s eyes and snapped his fingers. The floor under their feet changed into a mosaic work where little pastel depictions of sea creatures spilled into each other all over the floor in the most colourful ways possible to imagine. At the entrance of the room Logan yelped at the sudden change and Patton could not help himself but stare at the little clownfish which was depicted swimming under a giant stingray.

“Good work,” Roman simply commented looking down and then lifting his eyes to the wall and stretching his left arm out towards it, “and as I agree with the dark colour scheme, I still would like a bit of wooden panelling, preferably Burmese blackwood. I’m thinking about halfway up and then a navy coating up to the ceiling. And for the ceiling itself we could do another mosaic, maybe mimicking some sky creatures for a contrast?”

Remus raised his eyebrow and chuckled a little. Wide he waved and told Roman: “Birds? Need some friends, phoenix?”

“Ree,” Roman just groaned and Remus laughed a little louder.

“Just do it. Sounds good to me.”

And just like that Roman wiped a straight line from the right to the left and the walls changed just as he had described it. Dark brown panels of wood, which were probably Burmese blackwood, on the lower part of the wall and upwards navy coating. Patton and Logan looked up to the ceiling and saw a light mosaic work. A flock of birds arranged in a symmetrical manner was meretriciously distributed over the whole width of the ceiling and Patton felt his jaw simply drop.

“Neat. Now can I get into the-” Remus started but Roman cut him off right away.

“Furniture.”

Remus moaned annoyed and rolled his eyes.

“I think a corner seat with a little table-” Roman continued unbothered and pointed to the corner next to the door – “and a bench over there-” he pointed a little to the right along the long wall – “just to sit. Probably a little light on the wall in case people want to read. But not too much to disturb the fish after it gets dark. What style do you think should we do?”

“Do something Mediterranean. Oh, maybe wicker furniture, not something too fancy. This is not supposed to be a palace, just so you remember.”

“Sure, sure.”

And just like that, another wave and a few finger movements later a comfortable looking light brown wicker corner bench, wide enough for at least four people to sit on with blue and white striped cushions. In front of it a square wicker table with a white tablecloth diagonally placed on it and a little flowerpot with a green arrangement in it sitting in the middle of it. To the right of that, roughly halfway the width of the long wall, there was a light brown wicker bench for another four people. The seating cushions were white with sky blue stripes and the arm rests wide enough to set a few glasses or snacks on them. And behind both benches softly glowing little lamps shaped like candleholders with dark metal mounting appeared.

Roman brought his left hand up to his face, biting his thumb as he studied his creation doubtfully. It was not quite right yet, now that he saw it. Maybe he needed to move the pieces a little? Maybe a carpet could help round the picture?

“If you make you start Feng Shui-ing this thing, I’m giving you my good-byes and am on my way in the tank, strawberry boy.”

Offended Roman hurled his head around and was about to pick a fight with Remus, as he heard another pair of feet enter the room and both twins turned to look at the entrance.

“What the fuck?” the emo said rather loudly staring one side to the other.

“In ssweet hell’s name?” Janus mumbled as he stuck his head inside the room right as Virgil had entered.

The twins just exchanged a look and then looked over to Patton. Both new arrivals then did the same and Patton seemed to not know what to say now about this.

“I apparently gave Remus a good idea?” Patton tried but then added with a uncertain look over to the Duke, “Although, it feels more like I gave him permission to do this? It seems like this has been thought about before.”

“I sure did think about this, Poppy Pops!” Remus laughed and turned back towards his ladder again starting to take of his shirt.

“Why do you need to get inside?” Roman asked exasperated ignoring the others staring.

Finally pulling his shirt over his head and carelessly throwing it aside and kicking his shoes off Remus barely looked over his shoulder and said: “You fucked up a little with the plant life and geology of the ocean bottom. I need to fix that and I also have a few ideas to add to the whole thing.”

“Well, fine, I guess but- I beg your pardon!” Roman shouted the last part as Remus unzipped his pants and turned away with a flushed face. “If you got to work inside there at least have the decency to not show your junk to me! I’m not working like this!”

Remus scoffed but snapped himself a pair of bath shorts and mumbled: “Just act as if you had never seen a goddamn dick. Also, why exactly do you need helping me with this? I’m fine with marine life as you know.”

Remus was already up on the ladder as Roman turned back to him and responded gesturing widely: “Since you’re already inside we can get the exact measurements to calculate what kind of filter would be ideal for the tank. Up ‘til now we did it with magic but with a filter – Don’t forget the fucking gills!”

Roman paused as Remus sat himself on the edge of the tank and was about to slide inside. Remus made an “oh” sound and quickly stroked over both sides of his neck and a set of gills appeared, as the skin around turned a lush green.

“As I said,” Roman continued, while Remus slid inside and softly let himself sink down to the tanks bottom, “with a filter the maintenance is going to be a lot less taxing than it has been until now.”

None of the four others, who were still standing inside of the room, had listened to any of the things Roman had just said but ogled Remus moving in the water. His skin shimmered a little with a green shine and between his fingers and surprisingly long and agile toes green webs had appeared. With an unexpected smoothness Remus turned around and quite a number of fish flocked around him. Then, to their surprise Remus smirked a suddenly sharply fanged smirk and whistled loudly, which’s sound was carried through a pair of speakers Remus had conjured just as he dove in.

And from behind a rather huge rock a small octopus shot out and swam rapidly towards the widely grinning Duke. He held out his arms as if he was to hug Spotty and the octopus flung itself over Remus’s chest to what Remus reacted with a fond chuckle and started to pet the glibber-y creature gently.

“Is this going to distract you the whole time?”

Remus turned his head around and Spotty climbed up his chest, up to his neck and placed one of his tentacles right over Remus’s bottom lip where a small scar resided.

“Don’t worry. I’ll work around it,” Remus promised his brother and let Spotty sit on his shoulder. “Also, you really think you can invent a filter for this tank?”

“Are you saying you wanna keep doing this with magic for eternity?”

“No, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to let your sorry ass do the wiring for this.”

Roman pouted but gave a surrendering wave and replied: “Fine, I’ll let Logan help but we still need to take the measurements after you completed your rearranging. Also, I can help you from out here if you need to shape the room.”

Remus nodded and then gave Spotty a soft smile, quietly praising him in a silly tone: “You _really_ are smart, aren’t you? Smartest fucking octopus ever, huh?”

After Spotty nestled into Remus’s crook of the neck he turned his attention back to Roman and pointed into the direction away from the entrance. Comfortably he started swimming, Roman following him with collected steps and listened to him as he explained which plants were wrong for the kind of coast, he had tried to imitate as he fixed them with a short flick of his hand.

And as the twins were talking marine life, Logan turned around and started walking out of the room with a sigh. He really did not know how to deal with these kinds of antics. Not how to react to both of the twins being so focused and caught up in their elements.

Janus followed him soon but kept close to the little window in the living room so he had a look on Remus swimming around and being chased by a few fish.

Patton was not sure if he was supposed to stay inside, as he had nothing to contribute but kept standing there for a few minutes, before he sat down with Virgil for a while. The anxious side had taken a seat on the bench and watched the water tank and sometimes glanced over to the twins.

The view was breath-taking. He had never been one for too many colours, too much movement. But at times there had come Remus, a wide smile on his lips and dragged him along into his room and show him something like this. One of the walls exchanged for a water tank filled with fish similar to these. And despite it being so much, so much colour, so many moving fish, so much to take in, Virgil had always lost himself in it. In the chaos and beauty of it.

What he never focused on though was the Duke himself, who usually stood beside him and watched the tank as well. But now Virgil saw him. He was one of the colourful unpredictable creatures inside the tank. The green shine smoothly changing colours and a few spots on his skin taking on the lush colours completely.

Remus was weightless. Free to exist in the salty water where he had always loved to be. Virgil had never noticed how outstandingly content he looked when they went swimming. But now he did it made him grin a little.

After a solid fifteen minutes Patton got up and told Virgil he would busy himself in the kitchen if he needed him and left. Virgil just nodded and got his headphones out and leaned against the backrest of the wicker bench. He didn’t feel like leaving quiet yet. 

Meanwhile, Roman and Remus went through every last edge of the aquarium. A few times they had to stop when too many fish flocked around Remus. Even when Remus snacked one of them, they never dispersed too far away from him. 

But otherwise they made quite a bit of progress. Remus fixed what was wrong with the plant choices, the underground and it already showed its first effects. The fish were a lot happier; Remus could hear them swimming excitedly and the oxygen levels had already improved. And as he was at it, he was decorating the whole place with some wrecked planks and a little skull here and there. Just for the atmosphere.

As that was done, Remus bullied Roman to get back to the end of the room and expand the tank further to the left where the room initially had ended. Working together they made a curve with the glass and pulled it further to the left and created a new section which was no longer visible from the entrance. Remus then had Roman make an ascent so that people were on the same level as the tank.

Soon they had created a small beach with at the edge of on the tank and even created a little river leading into the it. They also created a little something else but after Remus insisted on making it a surprise while splashing Roman with the water, in which he had remained the whole time, Roman gave in and said they should go and take the measurements next.

After three quarter of an hour Roman was satisfied with all the numbers he had written down and walked back into the initial room, as Remus swam beside him on the other side of the glass. It had not been planned to do something like this today but Roman had to admit that this was a lot more fun than the repainting job they had planned on doing in the living room.

Contently he looked over to Remus, who was playing with Spotty, who had never left his side. Maybe he should give his brother one more treat, he mused and snapped to get Remus’s attention.

“What? Don’t tell me you still need something else,” Remus asked with an eye roll but little menace.

Roman shook his head and pointed to the opposite side of the tank while saying: “No, Trashy Triton, I just thought that you still have space over there and if you want you could make a deep sea-”

Roman didn’t end the sentence as Remus already turned and swam over to the side and had already created a little tube which led downwards into the darkness where he would create the most horrifying and gross looking sea creatures he could think of.

The Prince only shook his head and let his fingers brush through the pages he had filled with the data and walked over to the entrance. On his way he spied over to Virgil on his bench, who had started “writing” something into his notebook as he always claimed. But Roman refrained to say anything about it and sat himself down to get everything into an orderly state.

And like that some semblance of calmness laid itself over the common rooms. Janus had long started to read his latest “philosophy” book (which actually was a trashy romance novel with a philosophy cover put around it) for self-care reasons and Logan had come from the kitchen where he had had a short chat with Patton about the next _Reasons to Smile_ video Thomas was planning to make. He then had been promptly designated to go around the rooms and bring everyone a glass of the self-made ice-tea Patton just had finished. He had already gone to the living room and given Janus his drink and now went inside the new aquarium, where he found Virgil, as well as Roman sitting hunched over their works.

Logan sighed a little, thinking about how bad this would be for their postures and put the jug and two glasses on the little table, next to Roman’s work. Before he poured the glasses though he turned to watch the water world the twins had created in the last two hours.

It was astounding. As much as he didn’t want to admit that he was impressed by their work, with this they had outdone themselves. Despite chaotic and inefficient work ethics, which were probably a lot more efficient for two of them than Logan wanted to admit, they had created something magnificent and accurate even.

For a few moments he let his eyes linger over the surface until he spotted Remus sitting crisscrossed in the middle of the tank and his back facing the side Logan was looking through, Spotty climbing all over his chest and back. It almost seemed to follow the patterns of Remus’s scars Logan noticed but something else caught his eye.

Well that something else was more of an absence but it threw Logan off nevertheless. The Duke was barely moving and Logan went a little closer to the tank. As he got nearer, he also found that there were more colourful spots on his skin, which seemed to be a little smoother than it had been before. And then he was close enough to conclude that yes, Remus was still breathing. So that was good. 

Logan never had hunches. He didn’t have a gut feeling or instincts, at least nothing besides curiosity. But this, this felt somehow _wrong_. And Logan did not like this feeling. Not at all.

And so, he decided to shed some light on his problem and simply direct Roman’s attention and his twin, which then would certainly help to resolve whatever was bothering Logan so much about the situation. He looked back to the table where Roman sat. Collected he cleared his throat which did not get a reaction out of Roman.

With a small sigh Logan stepped towards the Prince and asked him: “Roman?”

A reaction. Roman sat up straight and looked over to Logan with a question in his look.

“Would you know how long your brother has been sitting like this?”

Roman furrowed his brows and then looked over to the tank. And at once his face fell. Just in that moment Virgil pulled his headphones off his ears and looked over to the other two.

“What’s happening? Why are you suddenly stressed out? And what’s-” Virgil started but Roman was already on his feet and walked over to the glass.

Roman’s expression was stern and for anybody who didn’t know him to well could have thought that Roman was angry or disgruntled. But Logan knew that this was the look he put on when he was worried about someone but had decided to be strong despite of it. And it was not a look Logan particularly liked.

A series of snaps. Remus lifted his head a little but did not turn entirely. Then Roman spoke up.

“Don’t you think it’s time to get out?”

“no.”

That answer was so quiet that even Janus in the other room got a worried vibe from it and walked inside of the room. Frantic and tense he looked from Virgil over to Logan before his look fell on Roman and Remus.

“Remus, please come out,” Roman tried while keeping his voice down but Virgil felt the vibrating panic in him. This was not good.

“I’m gay.”

“I’m aware,” Roman moaned and started walking over to the latter, “and we both know I didn’t mean that. I’m coming now.”

Under his breath Roman cursed, patted himself on the chest and his outfit changed from the princely attire into a black swim shirt and red swim trunks with dark red suns on it. Huffing he pulled himself up on the latter, let his feet dangle into the water and brushed over the both sides of his neck, a set of gills appearing on both sides.

“I hate this,” Roman mumbled a last time and then slid into the tank.

Unlike Remus Roman did not move as smoothly as a fish. He swam well and controlled but it did not look like he was part of the environment. Still, his movements were rather graceful and undeniably filled with purpose.

Soon Roman reached the middle, let himself sink down next to his brother and Spotty moved from the Duke over to him. The touch was a little weird to Roman and the octopus promptly touched the small scar on his right temple and then attached itself on the middle of Roman’s back. Roman grimaced but decided that he had to endure this if he wanted to get through to Remus.

Yes, Remus. Roman reflexively gulped and leaned a little forward to get a better look of his twin. His hands laid loosely in his lap and his eyes were cast down on them. He looked pale and Roman almost felt what this was about.

“Hey,” Roman said and turned the volume of the speakers on the outside down in case that Remus wanted to have some privacy for this talk.

But Remus didn’t turn them off. No, he responded quietly: “Hey.”

“You don’t want to get out.”

“…”

Roman felt the octopus climb on his shoulder and grab for Remus’s arm from up there. That made it click.

“You don’t want to leave Spotty here on their own.”

Remus looked up. Bingo.

Roman sighed. He wished this was about the octopus but he didn’t think it was.

“Tell me why you can’t leave them on their own.”

Remus started to fickle with his hands. He chewed on the cut on his lip before he finally was able to form an answer.

“Spotty will think I hate them, because I leave them here in this tank, where they can’t go anywhere and be locked up for eternity on their own. And then they’ll hate me. And I don’t want Spotty to hate me. I can’t abandon Spotty. I can’t.”

Roman watched him for a long moment. He wasn’t sure when the last time had been, he had heard Remus being this sad. He really didn’t like it.

“Ree?” Roman asked ever so softly and met Remus’s gaze. “Tell me, do you hate me?”

“No!” Remus said and straightened his back.

“But I left you. I left you alone and I was mean to you. And still you do not hate me.”

Roman saw that Remus suddenly got where he was getting at and tried to paddle back on his words but continued before he got the chance: “So, why would Spotty hate you for getting out of the tank, when you obviously care so much for them and will come back as soon as you get the chance to? They are wickedly smart; didn’t you say so yourself? I’m sure you’ve told them that already. And I’m pretty sure Spotty doesn’t want you trapped in this tank.”

“But they’re alone and it’s so small! So small to spend a life time in! They’ll turn crazy if they spend it on their own! I – I cannot leave them alone and turn crazy in this tank!”

Roman let out a sad sigh. This really was not about the octopus.

“This tank is their home, Remus. And I know it’s crammed and sometimes the other fish are harsh and it’s hard to get along. I know that sometimes there’s no single spot where they can hide from them. And I know that despite that they all feel incredibly alone, but it’s home. It’s Spotty’s home. And I promise you they will never be alone again. Never. I won’t let that happen ever again.”

Roman knew that Remus was crying. It was not visible as they were underwater but the way Remus blinked and rubbed his eyes, he knew that there were tears in his brother’s eyes. He was somehow a little relieved that he was crying even. Like that Roman was not the only one.

And then Remus finally moved and pulled Roman into a tight hug. Roman chuckled surprised and nuzzled against his brother's shoulder only for him to return the gesture. And as they were Spotty climbed all over them and whooped at the embrace. Well, at least Remus heard it whoop and that was all that counted to Spotty at the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey just quick heads up: This was planned to be a oneshot but it kept going and going so I'm making two parts out of it. The second one should be here tomorrow^^
> 
> Anyway, thank you so much for reading and please take care and have a wonderful day❤️
> 
> EDIT: I lied. It's going to be three parts because I have to go overboard with everything I do^^


	2. Chapter 2

And as Spotty triumphed and the twins got to be all mushy and better the three other sides stood perplexed at the other side of the glass and stared at the twins. The volume had been rather low and they had not been able to hear every word which had been said between the twins but gods the ones they did hear were more than enough.

Logan was concerned. Remus’s tone was not much unlike Patton’s when he was at his worst and the whole conversation had seemed to carry a double meaning with it. He was not certain if he understood or pieced it together quite right, his head was still too wary from the strange sensation which had thrown him off before.

Janus on the other hand knew what this was about. He got that this was about Remus being left and forgotten. Because in the end of the day if somebody had to wait for his turn, if somebody had to compromise, it more often than not had been Remus. Virgil and Janus himself had so often just stood him up and made him wait to get the simplest _needs_ he had met. And Janus had known that it had been unacceptable. He had already improved, listened to him ramble more often, gave in to the silent requests for being touched. But Remus’s pain lingered and he had never thought that it was still present to such an extent.

And Virgil had anxiously walked up to the tank. He was the one of those who _had_ abandoned him. At the worst time possible even. Mindlessly, Virgil slightly scratched over his forearms and then held his hand against the pane. Through the glass, the water, he felt them. Felt the deeply rooted fears both twins hid within themselves. He knew what the fears were, in an abstract way at least. To be left alone and to be useless.

The twins in the tank didn’t notice any of that. They parted and Spotty swam in front of Remus who petted it softly. Then he looked over to Roman who started to stand up.

“But Spotty doesn’t have you. He’ll not have his best friend around if I’m gone,” Remus said this time actually talking about the little animal in front of him.

Roman clicked his tongue and forgetfully started to chew on his thumb before he stopped and snapped his fingers.

“What about giving Spotty an octopus friend? Or do you think they’d like a different kind of companion?” Roman proposed and Remus finally got on his feet.

Remus tilted his head a little to the side, thoughts almost visible on his face and answered: “No, I think an octopus is fine for them but… Do you think they will like them better than me?”

Roman gave Remus a soft shove and laughed.

“Of course not! You’re their best Side friend and the octopus will be their best octopus friend! There’s only winning in this plan!”

Remus rolled his eyes but nodded. Roman’s dramatics sure were entertaining to watch. Then petted Spotty anew, wordlessly telling it that a new companion was soon to arrive and the little animal swam an excited looping. Then Remus gave Roman a thumbs up and the Prince conjured a second octopus.

It looked rather similar to Spotty, the patterns on it not quiet aligning with Spotty’s of course, but the size and general colour were the same. What was different tough, were that the spots under its eyes were a slightly more teal colour instead of blue, Remus noticed quickly.

The octopi carefully swam around another for a second with a little distance between them before the whole thing turned into a game of catch and they started to gain on speed and spiralled and looped around the twins agilely. Remus grinned at their joy and then looked over to Roman who followed their movements with awe in his eyes.

Remus was quick to give a short whistle and both octopi immediately stopped and swam towards him. He stretched his hand out for the teal one which hesitantly poked his hand.

“I think I have a name for you. Wanna hear it?”

If an octopus could give someone a curious look this one certainly did.

“Algae. Like the green of your spots. Like it?”

Algae grabbed Remus’s hand and he felt it suck and tickle him. He chuckled understanding the approval quite well and petted both octopi a last time before he finally joined Roman and swam towards the latter at the top of the tank.

Roman went out first and only went down half of the latter before he simply jumped to the floor and watched Remus climb out. He seemed to struggle a little to readjust to the full force of gravity again and his movements were a little wobbly as he climbed down the latter.

“That was surprisingly difficult,” Remus remarked as he finally stood back on his feet, on hand still gripping around the one of the latter steps to steady himself.

He had not noticed Virgil, Logan and Janus getting closer to the two yet and blindly shook himself to get rid of all the water like a dog did. Promptly everybody in perimeter of Remus was sprayed with water and quick to make some annoyed noises. Remus chuckled at the little chaos he had brought and finally properly looked around himself.

“You asshole!” Roman grumbled and hit Remus in the arm.

Then he looked over to Janus and Virgil, former checking how much water had hit his hat and latter carefully brushing over his cheeks to not get in contact with his eyeshadow. But Remus lost focus quickly as his eyes flipped over to Logan who scrunched his nose and cleaned his glasses with his t-shirt. He looked so weird without them.

“It is not so surprising that you feel dizzy,” Logan said at once putting his glasses back on and meeting Remus’s eyes firmly. “You’ve been in the water for over two hours. After such a long time with lessened effects of gravity standing would be quite hard for anybody.”

“Two hours?!” both Remus and Roman shouted and the three others all flinched at the volume.

“That can’t be right,” Remus said and looked at Roman.

“Max fifteen minutes, right?” it came from Roman.

“Yeah at max! Come on pocket protector, you’re joking with us? Right?”

But Logan shook his head and added firmly: “It’s been exactly two hours and twenty-three minutes.”

Both twins blinked and then shared a look.

“Time really is not our thing.”

“Decidedly not.”

Then Roman let out a laugh, scratched his eyebrow and tapped on his chest, suddenly dry and in his usual attire again. Fondly he nudged Remus in the arm and then made a few steps towards the living room.

“I’m going to make you something. I’m sure you’re hungry. Even for a little water rat like you so much swimming must have been taxing,” Roman said and had already reached the passage to the living room.

Remus watched him confused, hand still on the ladder and legs still too wobbly to go right after him. He scoffed at his own inability to follow and asked Roman: “What do you mean? Are you going to bake? I know that look! You bake! I’m getting sugar cookies?!”

Roman flashed him a thumbs up and with that was gone. Almost immediately Remus wanted to go after him but stumbled and stopped on his tracks. Gravity really had a much harder pull on him than he remembered.

And suddenly there was a hand at Remus’s side and he jerked his head around to see Virgil helping him steady himself.

“What the eff, man. Don’t scare us like that,” Virgil mumbled keeping his eyes cast down.

Remus tilted his head and made a curious noise to what Virgil looked up and bit his lip.

“It wouldn’t be the first time I stumble over my own feet,” Remus said and quirked his eyebrow up.

Virgil sighed and Janus scoffed and looked to the side. Remus’s eyes flew over to him and watched him readjust his bowler hat just so it was sitting perfectly right on his head.

“That is not what he meant Remus. We-” the effort it costed Janus to just sound sincere in that moment was ludicrously high - “we do not want you to lock yourself up. This is scary for us too and _I_ will not be able to do this without you. I mean, only yesterday Patton started to talk about Christmas preparations for the famILY. It’s July. Only with you causing havoc we can keep his need for sappiness at bay.”

Remus chuckled and motioned towards the little bench with his head. Virgil kept by his side and the little batch of sides flocked around the Duke sitting down on the wicker furniture. Almost as if they were fish, it shot through Remus’s head, before his thought was interrupted by Logan.

“Usually you can derail conversations about Christmas by mentioning other holidays you like better and are less sappy. Halloween is ideal for the occasion or birthdays of certain friends of Thomas’s. One also could get to another less sappy and possibly obnoxious topic by questioning why people give each other gifts. It usually tends to become quite an interesting philosophical conversation, when Patton is in the right mood.”

The three others just stared at Logan who in return shrugged.

“I have been going through this figurative sap madness for the last six years. I learnt how to avoid it by now. Also, there is no escaping as soon as Patton gets Roman involved in the planning so please do not mention this to him under any circumstances.”

All three nodded at the instruction and went a little quiet for a moment. Remus let his shoulders drop a little and leaned against the backrest. It was strange that nobody asked him to hide himself anymore.

Virgil’s hand gently brushed over Remus’s shoulder and the Duke flinched. He almost had forgotten that the anxious one was still holding on to him. Quickly he gave him a look and saw him observe Remus’s skin.

“I don’t remember you getting this … slimy after you get out of water. Is that normal for you?” Virgil asked carefully.

Instinctively, Remus touched his face as if he was checking if Virgil was right, despite knowing fully well that his skin still was a little slimy.

“Oh well,” Remus began and leaned a little towards Virgil without forcing him to touch him more, “that’s what happens when I’m long enough in my preferred territory. Isn’t it neat? Are you weirded out yet?”

Virgil raised his eyebrow, smirked and shoved him. With no hesitation whatsoever he moved his hands away from Remus’s arm and instead put it around his shoulder, effectively pulling him in a side hug.

Remus stared at Virgil positively perplexed and the latter broke into giggle.

“Man, you’re really off your game if you think a little slime would weird _me_ out,” he responded with a wink and demonstratively pulled Remus even closer.

At that Remus just smiled. Not grinned. Not smirked. But smiled and gave into the embrace. Back when it had only been the three of them a simple touch initiated from Virgil was as rare as a cloud over the desert. And now getting a hug he hadn’t even asked for? That felt close to a miracle and Remus would not waste such an opportunity just like that.

“You get mushy on me, Emo. What’s my brother doing to you?” Remus joked and leaned his head on top of Virgil’s. 

Virgil squeezed him softly and answered: “Princey and Popstar will do that to you after a while. No one can escape them, believe me.”

A moment went by and Remus felt Janus taking a seat on the side lean on his right. Without even looking he could imagine the fond look on his face he certainly would deny to ever have shown if asked. 

“Not to impose,” Logan imposed, “but might I ask about how slimy we are talking?”

Remus began to laugh as he heard the question. Immediately he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at him with the response: “Wanna check it out?”

And Logan promptly did. Curiously the teacher leaned forward and brushed over Remus’s still very much exposed chest. Fascinated Logan then brought his fingers back in front of his face, observing the thin film of slime on them and felt the moist and smiley consistency of it.

Remus was filled with glee seeing that reaction, while Virgil and Janus just gaped at Logan. Janus shot Virgil a look who returned it just as perplexed and listened up as Janus quietly asked: “Is he always like this?”

Virgil glanced quickly to Logan, eyeing the interest in teach’s eyes and plain fascination for the feeling on his fingers, and then back to Janus.

“Usually not. But normally no one prompts him to do such things,” was the answer Virgil settled on.

At that Janus titled his head in a fair-enough manner, then ruffled Remus’s still wet hair. The Duke made an almost adorable sounding offended noise at the touch, which led Janus to smirk and reminded him a little of the way little Thomas used to get all defensive when people used to call him cute.

“Don’t worry,” Janus said with a teasing smile as he got on his feet, “I’ll be out of your hair now.”

As he stood, Janus summoned a green towel and threw it to Remus, so he could properly dry himself. The duke gave him a pointed look as Janus then walked towards the entrance of the aquarium and went back into the living room. Curiously, Remus still looked at the door until Virgil’s movement next to him caught his attention.

The anxious side was fumbling with his phone Remus realized and shamelessly screened what he saw on the spiderwebbed screen of Virgil’s phone. As he did not try to hide his efforts to catch a glimpse Virgil remarked him spying immediately but did not as expected pull his phone away but told Remus, who had already recognized the picture on the screen: “I was listening to a horror podcast before. Wanna listen with me?”

Eagerly Remus nodded. Virgil summoned a second pair of earplugs, plugged them into his headphones and the two horror enthusiasts were soon engrossed in their podcast, as Remus doodled into his messy sketchbook he had summoned and Virgil just leaned against his trashy friend as the horror unfolded.

It was then that Logan found himself standing in front of them finally no longer distracted by the slimy substance on his fingers. Remus and Virgil were quietly sitting and occupying themselves in front of him and Janus – Janus was no longer in the room. Where had he gone? Logan had lost focus and now he found himself abandoned in the aquarium.

That was almost a little embarrassing for Logan, would he feel embarrassment he thought and turned towards the entrance of the room to go and look for Janus. But yet again his attention was grabbed by something else.

This time it was the paper stack on the little table in the corner of the room. Roman’s notes and … calculations? Did Logan see that right? Curiously he walked towards it, remembering how Roman had talked about a water filter for the fish tank and looked over the paper which were laying on top. The writing was swift and curly, much more elegant than Thomas’s and, astonishingly, it was all written in a rather orderly manner.

Logan sat down and started to look through the papers. Not all notes were this orderly though. Some sheets, the ones with where he had taken down the measurements, were far messier and the writing resembled more of a scrawl. Contently, Logan organized the papers and then conjured himself his teal pen. Teal because Roman always complained when he used a red one to correct or comment his scripts because it reminded him of failed tests in school. And also, because Logan liked teal quite well besides indigo.

After five minutes or so, Janus came back and sat down next to Logan with his “philosophy book”. Logan glimpsed over to him and grinned as the cover flopped back and revealed part of the corny title. And he was the one who whined about Patton being sappy.

Logan just reached the layout map of the aquarium and put his pen down for a second. Roman’s working methods, at least when it came to writing things down, resembled his own astoundingly. He really had left a mark on him, Logan quietly mused and let his eyes drift over to Remus.

“He is like Patton and Roman when it comes to physical contact, correct?”

Janus looked up from the page he was on and asked: “Are you speaking with me?”

Logan shot him a look which would have been answer enough but said nevertheless: “I am. Did you hear my question?”

“I did indeed,” Janus replied and lowered his book. “What exactly are you referring to?”

“I’m talking about literal touch starvation. Both Patton and Roman’s physical health decrease notably if they are not regularly touched. Also, both get cranky after a certain time, alas Patton is considerably worse than Roman is with it.”

“All human creatures need physical contact to some extend and with a few exceptions. Otherwise their mental health will considerably worsen. So, why would Patton and Roman be any different?”

Logan eyed Janus up and then shot a look over to Virgil.

“Because neither I nor Virgil require touch. And I assume you do neither, as you’re function seems to also fall onto the left hemisphere, but please correct me if I am wrong. And as I said, the unique thing about Patton and Roman’s health decrease is that it is physical and not mental as you stated. Not that mental health decreases cannot lead to physical pain but in their cases, it starts as physical pain.”

Logan paused and looked back to Janus.

“But I am fairly certain you knew that. After all you let Patton pester you to no end when we were little. And I do suspect that you let him do so, since you knew he needed it and not because you enjoyed being lain on and being unable to move for several hours.”

Janus gulped and Logan just acknowledged the reaction before he pointed back to Remus. He was not about to unpack any of that but wanted to get his answer out of the snake.

“So, what is with Remus? I still have little information about him but I assumed that he is the same as Patton and Roman.”

Janus finally closed his book, set it down and took a deep breath and folded his hands on the table. Logan raised an eyebrow and Janus shrugged dismissively.

“He’s in between them. Needier than Roman but less extreme than Patton. It’s the one need he has a hard time to identify, while he has no trouble to realize when he’s hungry, thirsty or any other bodily demand he might have. It made it rather complicated to figure out how to deal with it, as neither Virgil nor I knew when he required touch, as we had no default to go off.”

Logan nodded at that and turned the words around in his head as he suddenly heard a noise he didn’t recognize. Not at first at least. Then it reminded him of waves crashing on a shore. It was subtle, almost inaudible but it was there and it had caught Logan’s interest. He closed his eyes to concentrate better on the sound’s direction.

From his left. The back of the room.

Opening his eyes Logan looked into the direction he had heard the sound from. The tank lead around the corner. He had not paid close enough attention when he had entered the room today for the second time. Just by leaning a little to the side he could se that there was a little passage further to the left, which apparently ascended a bit. Now it was time to find out more, Logan decided and get up and check out what he had missed.

He had almost passed by Remus and Virgil as former suddenly perked up and loudly said: “Where do you think are you going, Big Brain?”

Logan turned to him, saw how he had taken the earplugs out and how Virgil next to him had stopped the podcast and watched him now too.

“There is a noise coming from the passage in the back and I wanted to-”

“Hate to cut you off but I can’t have you go on a discovery tour back there. It’s a surprise and as much as I like you, you quick-witted Documentary Chanel, it’s not yours. Actually-” Remus said at once as if he had an epiphany – “how much time has passed since Ro went to the kitchen?”

“14 minutes and 35 seconds,” Logan reflexively answered.

Remus jumped on his feet, startled Virgil and grinned madly.

“Perfect! That’s enough! Time me specs, I’m going to finish it!” Remus proclaimed and turned around on his heel.

As he twirled, a big, rainbow-coloured batik t-shirt popped up on his person and wiggled around his slim body as he ran towards the passage to the secret beach. And the three others were left back yet again in quiet confusion.

“Are we – are we just going to wait for him to get back or…?” Virgil poised the question into the room and looked over to the just as perplexed Janus and Logan.

“I don’t know. What does he mean when he says surprise?”

Both Virgil and Janus grimaced and Logan’s heart sank. That could not mean anything good, could it?

“We should stop him then, I assume?”

Janus had gotten up and lightly put his hand on Logan’s arm. He shook his head and explained while glancing towards the little passage: “His surprises are usually unconventional but not always disastrous. And I don’t think that this one is supposed to be malicious. Not when I see the mood, he is in.”

And with that Logan retreated from his efforts to try and find out what Remus was up to and instead sat back down at the table and looked over the remaining notes Roman had made while keeping counting the seconds Remus had been gone like the Duke had requested.

Meanwhile in the kitchen Patton chattered with Roman about the mosaics in the new room, as Roman waited for his cookies to be done baking and Patton let the bread, he had kneaded rest in its bowl under a slightly moist towel.

“I really love the depictions you two chose! Some of them were so cute! I’ll have a lot of fun looking through all of them when I get a quiet moment,” Patton said and watched Roman crack a slightly flustered smile.

“You’ll have to tell Remus that too when we’re done here. I am sure he’d appreciate it.”

Patton nodded not quite sure how much he believed that. But he would do it, no doubt. Roman had asked him to be kind to Remus and Patton wanted to be kind to him. It was just – He did not know what to talk about with him. How to begin a conversation. With Remus that never felt like the right approach and he had yet to find out what the right approach was.

Nevertheless, he would never want to go back to before. Everything was so different but also so much livelier with the Duke around. Virgil was chatting more often, Janus was talking with less inhibitions, Roman was happier over all and Logan was also different. He was more impulsive and more random than Patton was used to. Not that it was bad just a little unfamiliar.

“I know it’s a jump, but do you think that Remus affects Logan behaviour a lot?” Patton said not being able to shove the thought quite out of his head.

Roman furrowed his brows and pressed his lips into a straight line. Patton knew the look. The look of disapproval.

“I don’t think Remus does that,” Roman responds surprisingly patient. “I mean he might prompt him to do weird stuff but he never forces him and – I mean Lo is a little odd right now but I doubt that has anything to do with Remus.”

“So, I do not imagine him being a little, uhm, how to say it…”

“Easily distracted? Airheaded? Scatter-brained? Yeah. He is a little at times. But I believe that’s actually from the medication. Like, it makes him lose his focus more easily. I noticed it a few days ago when we were working on a script for Cartoon Therapy and he suddenly jumped topics. I just played along and it was easy to redirect his focus again, so I don’t think it’s too bad. Also, yesterday and the day before he was just like always. Today he’s out of focus again but he doesn’t seem to notice it.”

Patton nodded. That could very well be it. Hopefully it was, he thought and brought his hand up to his chest.

“Do you think we need to tell him or Thomas?” Patton asked Roman who then tilted his head from one side to the other.

“We certainly should keep an eye on it, and if it gets worse, we should definitely say something, but I think that this side effect will wear out after Thomas’s body gets accustomed to the medication. I mean, we’re taking it for not even a week now and it really should take effect after two. So, let’s not worry too much over it. Virgil does enough of that anyway,” Roman told Patton in a reassuring tone.

Light. Patton felt light again. How nice it could be to not carry all those sorrows completely on his own. Relieved he exhaled and nodded still. Later he also could ask Janus about it if he wanted and somehow, he believed that he might give him a similar advice to Roman.

After that short excurse Patton asked Roman about his opinion to the _Reasons to Smile_ video and they kept talking about it until Roman’s timer rang and he took the sugar cookies out of the oven. Curiously, Patton watched Roman do his work and put the still warm pastries on a plate as out of a sudden a loud call rang through the common area.

_“Lillypadton! I’ve got a surprise for ya!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suprise! I lied! It takes me three chapters to finish this thing because I cannot be bothered to write shorter chapters...
> 
> Well, so see you in the next one? Thank you so much for reading anyway! Kudos, bookmarks and comments are highly appreciated and make my day so please leave one if you've got the time❤️
> 
> Anyway take care and have a wonderful day❤️


	3. Chapter 3

Patton violently flinched at the nick name. He loved nicknames, loved when the others made puns with his name. But this one. This one stung. This one was a not good at all reminder of how he had lashed out and hurt Thomas and failed Roman and-

“Did Remus just call for _me_?”

In the aquarium the reactions were strikingly similar, when Remus burst back into the room and called for Patton with bright eyes. Then Remus focus switched over to Logan and asked: “Time?”

“11 minutes and 5 seconds,” Logan answered him and shook his head out of his frozen state.

“Dammit. Thought it’d be less than ten minutes,” Remus pouted and walked towards the middle of the room, watching the entrance, where he already awaited Patton coming through.

Janus stared at him in disbelieve and then exchanged a look with Virgil, who cautiously stood up from the bench and turned to look at the entrance as well.

Meanwhile Roman had reassured Patton that he had heard right and his brother had actually called for him. Patton did not know what to do with that information. He did not see how Roman observed him closely, silently assessed in what state he was in and then simply closed the gap between them and put his hand on Patton’s shoulder.

“Hey, do we want to go and see what Remus made for you? He sounds really eager to show you.”

A little bit of dread stole itself in Patton’s eyes as he heard those words. Then Patton saw the tint of disappointment, felt the little droplet of sadness coming from Roman and decided to get over himself. This would not be bad. Remus was not bad and his surprise would not be either. It was fine.

So, he nodded and Roman picked up his plate and both walked towards the aquarium. On the way Patton eyed up Roman, realized the lack of suspense he would have, wouldn’t he know what Remus was up to. Which meant Roman knew what his twin had made and that he seemed to be okay with it. Which calmed Patton a bit more and let him put on a smile when he walked inside the aquarium room and waved at Remus standing in the middle of it.

The Duke beamed at him, immediately approached and reached for his hand.

Patton forced himself not to stiffen and laughed a little nervously, side-eying Roman, who still looked perfectly calm and then told Remus: “You’re really excited for this, huh kiddo?”

Remus didn’t bother to answer and pulled him surprisingly considerately towards the back of the room and Patton finally noticed the new passaged to the left side.

“You, you added another room? Where are we going?” Patton asked and Remus slowed his step and waved for the others to follow.

Remus’s expression was relatively neutral, considering his usual extremes but his eyes were still positively glowing and Patton felt bad for the whole hesitant demeanour he showed towards Remus. But he did not know how to stop it yet and so tried to play it down as much as he could.

“It’s not really a room. But something like it. And Roman helped with it but I’ve made a few adjustments just now, so it’s even more fun now!” Remus explained and steered towards the passage.

As Roman heard that he looked a little offended and asked him as he caught up to the two: “Are you saying I can’t create fun things!?”

“Oh please, Pretty Pea, I didn’t say that! It’s just that your tree was a little too perfectly straight for my liking and I had to add a little more flair~” Remus answered in a singsong voice and winked at less than impressed Roman.

And just as Remus said that Patton, he and Roman had finally entered the passage, the other three following with varying levels of caution. The hall led slightly upwards and to the right one could look into the aquarium, which as well ascended with the floor. The whole hall was not particularly long, about twenty feet at most, and at the end there was an unusually bright light.

And the noise of wind whistling. And waves? Patton looked to the right and saw how the water got shallower and the ground changed from rocks and pebbles to grainy sand. Almost as if it was a little beach?

Before Patton got to think more about it, they had reached the end of the hallway and Remus pulled him determined but not forceful out of it.

Outdoors.

Blue sky above him. Looking to the ground. Green grass beneath his grey socks. A soft breeze rustling his hair. Looking to his right. A small beach shore which inexplicably led into an ocean which reached to the horizon behind the entrance.

Patton stepping further outside, walking towards the sand and then stopping. He turned into the other direction and let his eyes roam over a hilly landscape with green grass and wild flowers were sparsely blooming in the high grass. And then about fifty feet away from the entrance there stood a gnarly lime and with a white table and six chairs around it. By the side of the table, which was hit by the sun light (sun light in the Mindscape, Patton could still not believe it!) stood a black parasol with a purple rim.

Patton blinked. He could not process this. This felt so real. So terribly real unlike the attempts he had made to form something that resembled the outdoor world. It had never felt real. Never so close to what Thomas had seen and felt outside.

And so, Patton was so engrossed in the grass and view and wind that he did not notice how Remus hadn’t let go of his hand nor the amazement from Janus, Logan and Virgil. Janus had barely moved away from the entrance and stared to the wide grass fields and the tree in front of him, while Virgil had walked up to the beach and looked out to the ocean. To the wide, wide ocean where no mistake ever counted.

And Logan just stared upwards into the sky, watching the endless, unchanging blue above him. It didn’t make sense, Logan thought. This was not a room and Thomas was indoors. They were not in the climate zone, not in the region where such landscapes existed. The whole logistics didn’t work out but somehow, Logan could not care to mind as he just saw the infinite blue above him.

Roman on the other hand felt slightly overwhelmed. Not by the landscape, the Imagination had much more breath-taking landscapes in store than this one, but by the reactions of his friends. He had not believed that this would impact them like this.

Carefully Roman walked up to Remus who was watching Patton’s face closely and nudged his brother in the arm. Remus met his gaze and then followed his finger as he pointed to the three left-brained sides standing around in shock. At that sight Remus had to chuckle.

At that noise Patton and Janus flinched while Virgil turned around and stomped towards the twins.

“What the fuck?! How?! When?! Remus what the fuck?!” Virgil shouted and gesticulated vividly as both Patton and Janus slowly regained their cool and looked to the twins.

Roman held his hand up in front of his mouth and laughed a little, while Remus shot Virgil a shit-eating grin.

“Don’t you like it, Stormy Heaven?” Remus said in a tone that left no doubt that he already knew the answer to the question.

Despite the tone Virgil answered still shouting: “How could I not like it, but how the fuck did you do that? When?! I was in the room the whole time! And how are you so indifferent to this?! There never was an _Outdoors_ in the Mindscape before!”

“But the Imagination is full of outdoors so we’re kinda used to it,” Remus retorted and Roman finally caught himself and stretched the cookie plate over to Remus.

As Remus snatched one and munched it Roman then told Virgil, who had almost reached the twins and Patton: “We should have taken it into account that you all don’t have as much outdoor time as we do. My apologies.”

“You fucking should have!” Virgil agreed and took a cookie from the plate. “It’s fucking amazing. We're totally in the right to feel taken aback and all.”

“Thank you, emo.”  
“Thank you, Virge.”

Virgil squinted at both, took a cookie of the plate and marched over to the tree and the table. Roman began to laugh once more and followed Virgil after that.

By now Logan was responsive again and curiously walked towards Remus, Patton and Janus who had crept up to them while Virgil had been shouting. His eyes glided soon to Patton who had an air of awe around himself, which Logan hadn’t seen around him in quite a while. The Dad then looked up to Remus in quiet disbelieve while the duke was teasing Janus for freezing before.

“Did the _sky_ surprise you so much, Double-D?” Remus said and Janus pressed his lips into a firm line.

“You know very well that I _haven’t_ been barley outside of my room or the lounge. This is _not at all_ very unusual or new for me.”

Remus grinned at the comment and shrugged his shoulders. He then turned his gaze to Logan with the intention to tease him a little as well but stopped when he saw the pointed look he shot to Patton. Quick Remus looked down to the side, whose hand he was still holding and immediately felt very conflicted.

Patton’s eyes were watery and his lips seemed to fidget a little. Remus could not have him cry here. Not now. He did not know how to handle that.

“Let’s go over to the lime!” Remus decided promptly and pulled Patton along.

He hoped the manoeuvre would manage to keep him distracted enough from breaking out into tears. What was strange though, Remus mused as he steered them all to the little table, that Patton didn’t feel upset or sad. Nothing bad at all. But Remus could not put it together. Usually when Patton directed his attention solely to him it was because Patton or Remus were upset or angry or sad. And Remus wasn’t sad, at least not anymore. He felt fine to be honest and Patton did too, so what could that expression mean?

Remus stopped thinking about it as soon as he had reached the table, though. Virgil actually had taken the seat beneath the parasol and was looking over to the ocean as Roman had taken the seat across him in the sun. He looked up to his brother with a grin and then beside him to Pat. At the same time Janus and Logan had closed up to them and Janus took a seat next to Virgil, close to the trunk in the shadow, as Logan took the seat on Virgil’s other side slightly sitting in the sun.

Finally, Remus let go of Patton’s hand, took another cookie and was about to start a conversation with Roman, who promptly foiled his plans and addressed Patton.

“You really love this, huh?”

Oh. That also was a possible explanation for that look.

Blankly Remus now lowered his gaze and watched as Patton gestured behind himself to the ocean and then to the grassy landscape in the opposite direction.

“How,” Patton said breathlessly, “would I be not in love with this?! It’s – It’s astonishing! Boys I -” he looked from Roman to Remus – “I love it! I don’t know how to – to thank you for this! It’s so pretty and nice and good…”

Roman bowed his head with a wide satisfied grin plastered over his face as Remus swallowed the rest of his cookie and crossed his arms over his chest. He looked into the direction of the small river, which was more of a brook, right to the horizon and lopsided smile sneaked its way on his lips. So, maybe he really had made the right choice over there.

“Neat. I thought that was more to your liking than the aquarium,” Remus now said eyes still on the horizon.

“Oh, I – I like the aquarium too! You did very nice work there,” Patton responded quickly.

Remus looked down to him, rigid look in his eyes.

“Sure. But not what you really had in mind for all of us to hang out in. The aquarium is too dark, too calm for you. Makes you claustrophobic. You wanted me to have it and here we now have something for all of us. Mostly at least.”

“Mostly?” Patton said confused trying to forget the first part of Remus’s speech.

“Yeah. Over there -” Remus pointed over to the brook with a grin – “I’ve got something for you. Let me show you.”

And just like that Remus was moving again. For a second Patton kept standing still but then hurried to catch up. And so, the smaller side walked beside Remus, taking big steps to keep up with the other’s long legs. As they reached the brook, the others saw Remus step over it and heard him say something to Patton, who then took a tiny run-up and joined Remus on the other side. They didn’t walk much further after, maybe fifteen feet if even, and were now about sixty yards away from the others.

They heard Remus say something quietly but never a response from Patton and Virgil started to get nervous. What exactly could Remus have created for Patton? And what were they doing standing over there for so long? And why did Patton take off his shoes? And … sit down?

“Princey, what is that over there?” Virgil asked instead of making himself even more crazy than he already was.

Roman had turned himself around in his chair, to see what his brother and Patton were up to and now looked back over his shoulder, with a rather neutral expression.

“A pond.”

For a second nobody said anything else and Roman turned back to watch the pair.

“Remus made Patton a pond?” Logan asked as he realized that Roman was not about to explain this any further.

“Yes, a pond. With some amphibians in it.”

Virgil heard alarm bells. Amphibians? Like the stupid frog Patton had turned into? The associations Patton could make with that one were terrible and possibly even triggering. And just as if Janus had heard his worries he spoke up and asked Roman a bit agitated: “And you think that is a good thing? You were there. You saw what it looked like.”

Roman turned around made a small waving gesture with his hand. A jug with water and crystal glasses appeared in front of all of them. Calmly Roman poured Janus and himself a glass before he met his gaze and then Virgil’s.

The Prince was softly smiling to their confusion.

“That all may be true but Remus felt like Patton needed it and I’d be stupid to fight him on that one. And as far as I know; Patton seems to like it. Like _a lot_ if I’m honest.”

Janus blanked for a second, after hearing this. Patton did like frogs when they were kids. He just didn’t know if he still felt that way or if something about it had changed, especially after all that had happened after the wedding.

“Makes sense to me,” it came from Logan who poured himself a glass, while watching Patton and Remus by the pond they could not see through the high grass. “Patton was the one who brought frogs up in the first place and while the creature he turned into had frog-like characteristics it had very little to do with actual amphibians. Patton should be able to make that distinction.”

Roman nodded at the statement and Logan tapped on the table surface.

“Why did Remus “feel like Patton needed it”?”

Curiosity. The name really did fit Logan. Somehow, Roman wished he could have met him back when he used to be Curiosity and not yet Logic.

“Hard to explain,” Roman replied and drove his hand through his hair. “He – He has an odd ability. It’s – I am able to know what Thomas wants. Consciously wants, I mean. And Remus – he hears the intrusive thoughts and other things that haunt us but – he also knows about things we want subconsciously. Or well, he feels them? Not really something concrete but he can get pretty close hunches. And this pond is one of them. And I think it might be pretty important to Pat because Remus wanted to really impress him with this one.”

“How would he not have impressed him with this whole god darn plane? This is like a really over the top gift!” Virgil said as he threw his hands widely around and made Logan and Janus duck away so they weren’t hit by his flapping.

Roman turned back to the look over to Remus and the Dad. Remus had turned around and came slowly walking back towards them. He observed Remus’s steps and the intent behind them. He was not one for purpose, for a thought behind his action.

He wanted to compensate for all those gifts he had never been able to give to Patton.

Roman thought of the little trinkets they had crafted in their rooms together. The many bracelets, pictures and figurines. He remembered how they told each other how Janus and Patton reacted when they reacted when respectively Remus and Roman gave them their gifts. Janus praised Remus’s techniques and his imagination. Patton thanked Roman for the kindness and good intent behind his gifts.

Roman really had hoped that one day Patton would praise him for his technique and his imagination. But as it never happened, he made some gifts for Janus which he never dared to give him.

Remus really had hoped that one day Janus would praise him for the kindness and god intent behind his gifts. But as it never happened, he made some gifts for Patton which he never dared to give him.

Roman didn’t say any of that but waited for Remus to come closer. He could almost see the wheels in his head turning and cried: “And? How long did it take him to find all of them?”

Remus eyes lit up and he walked a little quicker to his brother while he answered nonchalantly: “Fucking fast, bro! I didn’t believe it! He even found the ones under water!”

Roman shook his head cheerily and pulled the chair to his right out for Remus to sit down. Immediately Logan inquired what Patton had found and how they had created this whole plane, as he finally found his head clear enough to comprehend all that information.

But meanwhile Patton sat at the edge of the little frog pond on a warm cosy stone. The pond had the form of a very big bean and a few waterlilies swam on its surface and reeds grew at the south edges of the little pool and threw a cool shadow over the water. The chirping from crickets and buzzing from dragonflies was filling the air and vibrating with Patton’s chest.

In the water there were two slick newts. One black with tiny shiny indigo spots and the second one dark grey with purple and lilac patches. Those two Patton had named Cousteau and Valéry. Cousteau, the scientist, who was just digging in the dirt, where he had found something shiny he needed to investigate and Valéry, the poet, who swam close to the surface to let the wind pet his tiny head and inspire his little head with dark little ideas for his writing.

Verdi, the red salamander with a few golden stripes over his back, sat close on a stone next to Patton and he babbled with the little animal, who clearly listened to his soothing voice. He sometimes made some tiny little sounds and looked into the water probably looking for Vio. Vio, just like the sculptor, was hard to spot with his black body and the funny green frills axolotls had in the water but Patton believed that Verdi found him nevertheless.

On the other side of the pool, on a waterlily sat a small frog with cyan feet and cyan rings around his eyes while the rest of his body was a pale grey. This one Patton had called Plato. In the water next to him swam a slightly bigger frog with a yellow face and a black body, who he had called Socrates. They were ribbiting and Patton sometimes got a little quieter to listen to their discussions. They were both quite smart, he found.

As Patton was a little quieter and he let Remus’s words rewind through his mind. Verdi climbed on his hand and Plato hopped on his knee. They were here, they existed because of him. For him.

Remus had made them for him.

“I’ve felt you watching me. In the night when I was looking for Spotty. I see how you’re lurking around the edges just checking on us. Not interfering, not doing anything just watching. You feel guilty for it. Because it’s somewhat stalky, at least in your head. So, I give you this here.

“This is yours. Yours alone. Nobody else but you would have asked for a frog pond, I mean not even you asked for it but I guess you want it so… Well. This is yours. You can watch them as long and as much as you like. They won’t mind. They’re just amphibians and they might even enjoy your company.”

Remus’s words were harsh, clumsy. He certainly was not used to perform like Roman was. And had anyone else said what Remus had, Patton would have felt guilty. He would have felt bad for his watching, his controlling. Which it was of course, but this gift was not about shaming him.

It was about giving him a way to change. About helping him getting away from these bad behaviours and finding new, healthier ones. And that came from the side which didn’t even care about bad behaviours.

And somehow Patton knew all of that. He understood what Remus had said, had meant despite him never outright saying it, despite being unable to say it to him. Because, in a way Patton just got the things Remus meant and he felt that the Duke felt the same. He did not know if that was good or bad, but was what it was.

And today he would take it for what it was.

Verdi nudge his hand and Patton grinned and let the little, red salamander climb on the back of his hand. He really was adventurous and he had the feeling that he would always need to check if the tiny water dragon had sneaked himself into one of his pockets before he’d leave the pond. Carefully Patton lifted Verdi in the air. Happily, he spun around on his hand, excited to be so high and see over the edges of his home. He really was a brave one.

After a while Patton put Verdi back down and the salamander disappeared in the water maybe swimming to Couteau, so he could tell him about the great and fabulous outside. Patton certainly wouldn’t put it past him.

Sitting there and watching Plato jumping from his right knee to the left and back, as Socrates swam closer, ribbiting almost as if he was bickering with him, Patton felt nice. It felt nice having something for himself. Only for himself. Of course, the other could come too and sit with him but this would never be theirs. This was really his.

Patton tried to remember when the last time had been something had been purely his. He didn’t recall.

But that was okay now. Because now he had a pond and he felt nice and the water was cool around his feet. His joints felt also nice in the water and he needed to go swim in the ocean some time soon. It probably would help him relax all of his muscles again.

It was then when he heard someone approach. He turned his head to the side and Plato and Socrates stared too. It was Virgil, who was craning his neck to see what Patton was up to. A smile spread on Patton’s face and he waved at Virgil who gave a short wave back. He hopped over the brook and in a few sloppy strides he had reached Patton looked over the little pond with him.

“So, this is the pond?” Virgil asked and pointed with his hand to the water.

Patton grinned a little at Virgil’s awkwardness but nodded and confirmed: “It sure is.”

Patton watched how Virgil looked over the little water surface and let him take it in for a moment. The boy always had liked water, even though Patton was not sure what he thought about such ponds like this one. Judging Virgil’s look he didn’t hate it but something in him seemed to be a little conflicted at least.

“Want to sit down with me for a while?” Patton then offered and patted to the stone next to the left of him.

Virgil scratched his nose and then tilted his head to the side and trotted to the stone Patton pointed to. With a little thud Virgil sat down and let his eyes dart over the water. He quickly eyed Socrates and Plato and gave Patton a pointed look as of why a frog was sitting on his knee.

“Ah, he just likes being close up,” Patton explained and stretched his pointer finger to the little cyan frog.

Plato nuzzled against it and Patton chuckled a little and Virgil visibly relax and took a closer look to the little frog.

“His name is Plato and the suspicious one who’s currently hiding behind my leg is Socrates,” Patton clarified and felt how reproachfully Socrates stared up at him.

“Plato and Socrates? Like… like the philosophers?”

Patton met Virgil’s slightly suspicious gaze and he felt himself smiling a bit mischievously.

“Don’t tell Logan, but I know the difference between Play-Doh and Plato. Actually, I know quite a bit about philosophy, since I am _Morality_ after all but… you know? Logan is just really good at explaining all those concepts and ideas, so I’ll have him cover that part and sometimes have a little fun with it all.”

Virgil still seemed a bit suspicious after that explanation but let the topic drop instead of looking at the pond and scanning for any other animals in it. As he didn’t see any after a while he looked to Patton and asked: “Remus said that there are six amphibians? I can only see the frogs…”

Patton grinned and then leaned over to him and pointed with his finger to the left of them into the water.

“There’s a red salamander. Can you see him?”

Virgil squinted but at once nodded.

“That is Verdi. He’s bothering Cousteau. He’s a little harder to spot because he’s almost entirely black but for the tiny blue spots. Also, he’s digging in the ground.”

Virgil nodded again but stopped and shot Patton a pointed look.

“What is he digging for?”

Patton shrugged and squinted a little at the shiny object Cousteau had already manged to dig out quite a bit.

“I think he wants to find out what that shiny object is he has found. I suspect it’s a silver spoon-” Patton added quietly whit his hand held in front of his mouth so Cousteau could not hear them – “even though I don’t know how that came in here. Probably a treat from Remus.”

Virgil furrowed his brow but nodded. That was as good an explanation as any he supposed and watched as the little creature dug deeper into the dirt. Was he also a salamander? He had no idea how to tell and asked Patton.

“Is he also a salamander?”

“Ah no, he’s a newt. And I think that over there-” Patton motioned behind some reeds to Virgil’s immediate left – “is the other one, Valéry. He’s hiding in between them. Don’t worry little guy! Virgil would never hurt you!”

Virgil watched the reeds closely and got the glimpse of a dark grey creature with purple and lilac patches. Well, so that was his amphibian him? And he was apparently afraid of his human equivalent which was somehow almost iconic.

At once Virgil then spotted Verdi showing up close to the little creature and he seemed to try and pull him out from his cover. Something else, too dark for him to properly see, scurried up under Valéry and pushed him out in the open together with Verdi. The salamander then nudged Valéry closer to Virgil’s direction and Virgil raised an eyebrow. So, Verdi was just as stubborn as his side equivalent.

“He’s just as obnoxious as Roman is, huh,” Virgil mumbled and leaned a little down towards the water, feeling Patton’s eyes closely on his back.

“He might climb on your hand if you hold it in the water and keep it steady enough.”

Virgil shot Patton a doubtful look over his shoulder. Valéry would certainly not trust him that much. But he could try just as well, if only to please Patton a little. And so, Virgil leaned further down and held his hand into the water.

The newt actually approached carefully to Virgil’s surprise. Verdi accompanied him and swam from one side of Valéry to the other. He surely seemed excited, Virgil thought with a grin and at once froze, as the newt carefully nudged the edge of his hand. Big eyed he stared at Valéry who carefully climbed on his hand and flinched a little when Verdi almost shot out of the water and jumped next to Valéry’s side as Virgil lifted the newt slowly out of the water. Funnily enough Valéry seemed also to be startled and he made a noise, which to Virgil somehow sounded like hiss, towards the red salamander. Verdi didn’t seem to be too impressed but lurched towards Valéry and softly butted his head against Valéry’s and then nuzzled against his side for a moment.

It looked kinda cute but Virgil wanted to scold Valéry for falling for such a cheap manoeuvre. Verdi really should not get away with this so easily. But then the red salamander looked up to him with those little beady eyes and Virgil knew he had lost. To the charms of a salamander.

He sighed and Patton giggle next to him.

“This is not funny!” Virgil pouted but Patton did not stop smirking.

“I know how cute they are. And Verdi is just a charmer.”

Before Virgil could respond to that, he suddenly felt how Verdi had climbed close to the tips of his fingers. Immediately Virgil had a bad feeling about it and how else could it be just then the salamander looked down from his hand and somehow slipped from Virgil’s hand. Panicky Virgil tried to catch the salamander, leaned a little too far forwards and toppled head first into the pond.

For a second Virgil felt panic arise, before he felt a stern but careful grip around his shoulder and was pulled up. Then he realized that he could kneel at the edge of the pond and the water was still nowhere near his chest and huffed annoyed, quickly looking around him to see if Verdi and Valéry were okay. Latter was nowhere to be seen, which probably was due to the ruckus Virgil had just caused and former swam close to Virgil’s knee looking worriedly up to him.

And then Virgil heard a snort from behind him and turned slowly around. Patton stood with one foot in the pond, the other on the grassy ground, hand still on his shoulder as he had pulled him back up, the other hand pressed over his mouth as he tried to smother his giggle that was escaping from between his fingers.

“Fuck that Pat! How did you get me so invested with some lurches that I fucking topple into the water like a dunce after five minutes?” Virgil whined and Patton promptly let go and stumbled into the water next to him.

Wheezing Patton held his belly and looked up at the anxious side while saying: “Pffff – heh he, sorry – he he he – Are you – okay? Sorry! Pfff. It’s – Its’ just so funny. The eyeshadow-”

“I don’t even wanna know!” Virgil squeaked but just then started to laugh as well.

This was so ridiculous. They must have looked so ludicrous and somehow that was just too funny to Virgil right now. So funny that he didn’t mind when Roman, followed closely by Janus and then Remus and Logan came running towards them to check if they were okay.

Seeing the ease in both their faces Roman looked relieved and stretched his hand out for Virgil who then climbed out of the water, while Patton waded a bit further into the pond.

“Poppy?” Remus asked carefully as Patton had almost reached the middle of the pond and the water reached up to his chest.

Patton turned around to Remus and the others got to see him smile widely and happily. From the heart.

“Thank you so much Remus! This is beautiful. And such a sweet and nice gesture. I know Roman helped you with it but you really did good by me.”

Flabbergasted Remus stared at Patton. Then a small smile spread on his lips and he told Patton that it was no big deal to which Patton loudly disagreed and splashed a little water towards the group and widely missed Remus with it.

Janus looked from the wet heart in the pond to the dry water rat next to him. One finally dared to do things without approval and the other had finally gotten the approval he had waited for for so long.

Janus closed his eyes with a smile and took a step back to get away from the water fight which was about to unfold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of it! Thank you for sticking around, for leaving kudos, bookmarks and comments❤️ They made my day and I'm happy for any that might still come🤗
> 
> Now, please take care and have a wonderful day❤️❤️❤️


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